Portable refuse container



May 23, 1967 J. CLEGHORN PORTABLE REFU Filed Jan.

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JOHN CLEGHORN @mma ATT'ORNEY United States Patent Ofilice 3,321,130 Patented May 23, 1967 3,321,130 PORTABLE REFUSE CONTAINER John Cleghorn, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor of one-third to Roman A. Di Meo, Alhambra, Calif. Filed Jan. 21, 1965, Ser. No. 426,839 3 Claims. (Cl. 232-43.2)

This invention relates to portable refuse containers and more particularly to refuse containers having disposable bag liners and the like.

Heretofore, when refuse containers having disposable bag liners were full, the liner was lifted from the con tainer from the top thereof and discarded. If liquids or moisture-laden refuse was deposited in the liner, the liquid or moisture would penetrate the liner and either seep through onto the ground or as in the case of a paper liner, cause the liner to break, resulting in refuse dropping therefrom.

In the instant invention, this problem is eliminated by placing the disposable liner in a container having a slidable base. When the bag liner is full and it is desired to discard the same, the container is positioned over the place where it is to be discarded. The slidable base is then outwardly withdrawn from the container body thereby causing the bag liner to be axially displaced therefrom by gravitational force. Thereafter, the slidable base is returned to its original position in the container body and the container is ready to receive another empty disposable bag liner. This invention finds particular usefulness for utilizing as disposable liners, paper bags commonly used in supermarkets for packaging groceries and the like.

Accordingly, the principal object of this invention is to provide a portable refuse container for accommodating disposable liners and having a means for sanitarily and efiiciently ejecting said liners.

Another object is to provide a portable refuse container capable of automatically ejecting said refuse without manual handling of same.

Other objects and advantages will be readily apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view in perspective of a portable refuse container embodying the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the container in FIG.

1 showing the slidable base thereof partially withdrawn from the container body;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the container of FIGS. 1 and 2 showing the configuration of the chute for directing refuse into the disposable liner therein;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side sectional view of a portable refuse container similar to that illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 except that the base is pivotally disengageable from the container body, the base being in its operative position closing the bottom opening of the body; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary side sectional view of the container of FIG. 4, except that the disengageable base is pivoted to its fully open or non-operative position.

Referring more particularly to FIG. 1, the numeral 5 designates a hollow body having openings at opposite ends 6 and 7 thereof. It is understood that although body 5 is illustrated as rectangular in cross section, said body may have other configurations such as circular or oval sectional shapes.

Body 5 is provided with a slit aperture 8 on one of the walls thereof, said slit aperture lying in a plane normal to the body axis. Body 5 is further provided with internal guide grooves 9 which are in the same plane as slit aperture 8 and are in alignment therewith.

Base 11 is accommodated in slit aperture 8 and is slidably attached to body 5 so as to permit movement thereof normal to the axis of said body. Slidable base 11 is adapted to move along internal guide grooves 9 in slidable engagement therewith as the base is displaced inwardly into or outwardly from body 5. When the slidable base 11 is fully positioned, as aforesaid, in body 5, the guide grooves 9 in engagement with base 11 prohibit axial displacement of the base, thereby providing a hollow receptacle having continuous side walls and an integral base.

A removable chute 12 having on oblique or funnel portion 13 is seated upon the opposite end 6 of body 5 by means of channel and lip means 14 and 15, respectively. Immediately adjacent and below funnel portion 15 are integral vertical guide means 16. Thus, when bag 17 is placed into body 5 and seated upon base 11 (see FIG. 2), chute 12 is positioned on the edge 18 of end 6. The integral guide means 16 insures that the mouth of bag 17 is maintained in an open and receptive positive. Funneling portion 13 acts to guide the refuse into the underlying bag.

An integral storage space 19 may be provided on the container whereby additional bags may be accommodated until used.

Body 5 may be provided with handle 20 to facilitate carrying or moving the container. Handle 20 may be secured to body 5 by any suitable means. As shown herein, handle 20 is pivotally secured to body 5 by arms 21 so that said handle may be rotated away from the opening of chute 12 thereby eliminating any obstruction thereof.

Handle 20 may be contoured so that when it is pivoted toward storage space 19, the handle may lie over the opening to said storage area and act as a cover for the same.

When it is desired to eliminate bag 17 together with its contents, the container is positioned over the site where the bag and refuse are to be deposited. Slidable base 11 is outwardly displaced until the bag 17 is no longer supported thereby. Gravitational force will cause bag 17 and its contents to be immediately downwardly discharged from the container.

Base 11 is then inwardly reinserted into body 5 along guide grooves 9 until the edge 22 of said base is flush against the back wall 23 of body 5.

Chute 12 is removed and an empty bag liner is then placed into the container so as to seat on base 11. Thereafter, chute 12 is replaced and the container is again ready for use. It should be obvious from the foregoing that the container is extremely simple to maintain and clean.

The side sectional view of the container illustrated in FIG. 2 shows the slidable base 1]. partially reinserted into guide grooves 9. Also shown in FIG. 2, bag liner 16 is seated upon said slidable base 11.

The top plan view of the container shown in FIG. 3 illustrates handle 20 rotated so that it lies over the opening of storage space 19 thereby providing a cover over the opening.

Another embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 4 wherein the disengageable base 24 is pivotally attached to body 5 by pivot means 25 and is maintained in its operative position by any suitable locking means 26, whereby the bottom opening of the body is restricted by the base.

In FIG. 5, base 24 is shown in its fully opened nonoperative position after locking means 26 have been released and end 27 of base 24 is disengaged from body 5 thereby allowing bag liner 17 to be automatically axially displaced from the container by gravitation force.

While one embodiment of the invention and its use has been described, it is of course understood that the particular embodiment of the invention herein described is for illustrative purposes only, and that various changes may be made therein without departing from the principal of the invention or the scope of the annexed claims.

I claim:

1. In a portable refuse container, the combination comprising: a vertical hollow body, said body being initially open at both its top and bottom; a base in disengageable attachment with said body, said base restricting the bottom opening of said body; a removable chute funnel positioned on the top of said body, the axial dimension of said chute funnel being substantially less than the axial dimension of said body; a bag liner having an open end seated on said base, said open end adjacent, and receptive, said chute funnel; a bag storage compartment in integral association with said body; and a handle pivotally connected to said body wherein the dimension of the handle is such that the maximum radial arc thereof when the same is pivoted will position the handle over the opening of the bag storage compartment so as to form a cover therefor.

2. In a portable refuse container, the combination as described in claim 1, wherein said body is provided with a slit aperture and internal guide means all in the same References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 60,121 12/1866 Barney 248-97 1,239,307 9/1917 Schmid 23243.1 1,373,297 3/1921 Brown 232-1 1,804,163 5/1931 Herold 232-1 1,935,382 11/1933 Asselstine 248-95 2,796,309 6/1957 Taylor 248-95 3,082,901 3/1963 Nakagawa 232-432 3,214,228 10/1965 Lewis 232-43.1

FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner FRANCIS K. ZUGEL, Examiner. 

1. IN A PORTABLE REFUSE CONTAINER, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING: A VERTICAL HOLLOW BODY, SAID BODY BEING INITIALLY OPEN AT BOTH ITS TOP AND BOTTOM; A BASE IN DISENGAGABLE ATTACHMENT WITH SAID BODY, SAID BASE RESTRICTING THE BOTTOM OPENING OF SAID BODY; A REMOVABLE CHUTE FUNNEL POSITIONED ON THE TOP OF SAID BODY, THE AXIAL DIMENSION OF SAID CHUTE FUNNEL BEING SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THE AXIAL DIMENSION OF SAID BODY; A BAG LINER HAVING AN OPEN END SEATED ON SAID BASE, SAID OPEN END ADJACENT, AND RECEPTIVE, SAID CHUTE FUNNEL; A BAG STORAGE COMPARTMENT IN INTEGRAL ASSOCIATION WITH SAID BODY; AND A HANDLE PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID BODY WHEREIN THE DIMENSION OF THE HANDLE IS SUCH THAT THE MAXIMUM RADIAL ARC THEREOF WHEN THE SAME IS PIVOTED WILL POSITION THE HANDLE OVER THE OPENING OF THE BAG STORAGE COMPARMENT SO AS TO FORM A COVER THEREFOR. 